Philippians 3:1
Whatever happens, dear friends, be
glad in the Lord. I never get tired of telling you this, and it is good
for you to hear it again and again.
The
Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by
permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois
60188. All rights reserved.
When I was teaching, my
school district participated in something called PET…Program for
Effective Teaching. PET training was intense, and consisted of actual
classroom instruction in this method for all teachers…followed by
exercises where we taught lessons using this method while we were
observed and critiqued by those trained to determine if we were
implementing the concepts correctly. So there was a lot of
repetition…and some “trial and error” involved.
In PET, the
concept is that each lesson has three components…the “set” – or quite
literally, the set-up for the lesson…the lesson itself…and closure. In
the “set”, the teacher provides an activity, a relatable analogy, plays a
game, or does something to engage the students and provide
relevance…and then he/she explains what the students will be learning.
In the lesson, obviously the instruction and practice occur until the
teacher is sure that the student understands the concept. Finally, the
closure reviews what was learned. The objective is repeated during the
closure to ensure that students remember it.
Studies have shown
that people best remember the first and last things they are told, so
in order to remember that middle “lesson”, repetition on the front and
back end is necessary. Personally, I LOVED the PET method of teaching
and have applied it to other areas of my life…from teaching a Sunday
school lesson to writing these devotionals!
If you are still
reading, you may be wondering what this has to do with the Apostle
Paul’s letter to the Philippians – and feeling God’s presence in your
life. TV celebrity Dr. Phil and others like to say that “People don’t
care what you know…until they know that you care!” And this is what I
want you to remember today…that God loves you! He sent Jesus to die on
the cross for you!
God cares about every single thing that is
happening in your life…from that test you struggled to pass to your
relationship breakup to how the waiter mixed up your order at the
restaurant! He cares about your wayward child, your disagreeable spouse or aging parent(s), your health, your daily
ups and downs – and even your struggle to lose a few pounds. God
numbers the hairs on your head…whether they are blond, brunette, red,
grey or purple…long, short – or fairy sparse!
Until we understand
how much God loves us – how much He cares for us – we will never fully
understand how much He is involved with each and every detail of our
lives. We will miss out on blessings, comfort, wisdom, and peace,
because we do not trust that God really IS with us…listening and loving
us through every single experience of our lives. But we can change
that! We can remind ourselves continually that “I am a child of God.
He loves me as I am. God is always available to me…He is only a whisper
away!” And we can begin today!
Are you ready to fully recognize
God’s presence…to understand how much He cares for you? Will this be
the day that you begin to operate differently…more completely in His
wisdom and peace? Don’t you think it should be? Have you said “Hello”
to God today? Isn’t it time you did?
©2015 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label understanding what God is saying. Show all posts
Showing posts with label understanding what God is saying. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for October 24, 2011
Psalm 119:32
I am eager to learn all that you want me to do; help me to understand more and more.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Our little nephew, Timothy, spent the weekend with us, and he was sick with an upset stomach. He did not understand what was happening, and as he threw up, he would whimper and say, “DebDeb?” I tried to assure him that everything was okay… but I’m not sure he was convinced! Afterward, he asked for milk, and I could not explain why this was not a good beverage choice. I gave him a sippy cup with 7-Up instead, and he seemed satisfied. But the next morning, he awoke and asked for pizza! If you want a good lesson in “understanding,” try reasoning with a two-year-old. I managed to distract him… but the following morning, when he was feeling better and asked for ice cream, I had no good argument!
A lot of times, we are frightened, and we call out to God. We don’t understand what is happening to us, but He assures us that everything will be okay, and we trust this! I will admit, I trust Him more now than I did a few years ago… or even last week. It’s a learning process… and for some of us, the going is pretty slow!
As Timothy learns more words and phrases… as he grows in experience and using his imagination to understand things he cannot physically see and touch… he understands more and more… and he trusts us to tell him the truth and give him good instruction. And he is eager to learn.
Wouldn’t it be great if we had the hunger and eagerness of a toddler for the things of God?! What if we approached God with the attitude that anything was possible… even ice cream at 6:30 a.m.! What if we allowed Him to show us what we could and could not do… and why… and trusted His choices and rules! Why aren’t we hungrier for the things of God? Isn’t it time we looked at this passage and made it our prayer for the day… a sincere desire to learn all that God wants us to do… and a request for help to do exactly that?
What are you waiting for? What is keeping you from becoming all that you can be in your walk with God? Are you growing daily in His knowledge and wisdom… eager to learn more about Him and His plan for your life? Isn’t it time you began?
©2011 Debbie Robus
I am eager to learn all that you want me to do; help me to understand more and more.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Our little nephew, Timothy, spent the weekend with us, and he was sick with an upset stomach. He did not understand what was happening, and as he threw up, he would whimper and say, “DebDeb?” I tried to assure him that everything was okay… but I’m not sure he was convinced! Afterward, he asked for milk, and I could not explain why this was not a good beverage choice. I gave him a sippy cup with 7-Up instead, and he seemed satisfied. But the next morning, he awoke and asked for pizza! If you want a good lesson in “understanding,” try reasoning with a two-year-old. I managed to distract him… but the following morning, when he was feeling better and asked for ice cream, I had no good argument!
A lot of times, we are frightened, and we call out to God. We don’t understand what is happening to us, but He assures us that everything will be okay, and we trust this! I will admit, I trust Him more now than I did a few years ago… or even last week. It’s a learning process… and for some of us, the going is pretty slow!
As Timothy learns more words and phrases… as he grows in experience and using his imagination to understand things he cannot physically see and touch… he understands more and more… and he trusts us to tell him the truth and give him good instruction. And he is eager to learn.
Wouldn’t it be great if we had the hunger and eagerness of a toddler for the things of God?! What if we approached God with the attitude that anything was possible… even ice cream at 6:30 a.m.! What if we allowed Him to show us what we could and could not do… and why… and trusted His choices and rules! Why aren’t we hungrier for the things of God? Isn’t it time we looked at this passage and made it our prayer for the day… a sincere desire to learn all that God wants us to do… and a request for help to do exactly that?
What are you waiting for? What is keeping you from becoming all that you can be in your walk with God? Are you growing daily in His knowledge and wisdom… eager to learn more about Him and His plan for your life? Isn’t it time you began?
©2011 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for April 8, 2011
Luke 8:8-10
When Jesus had finished speaking, he said, "If you have ears, pay attention!"
Jesus' disciples asked him what the story meant. So he answered: I have explained the secrets about God's kingdom to you, but for others I can only use stories. These people look, but they don't see, and they hear, but they don't understand.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
I spend a lot of time showing Timothy things that I’ve told him, because he doesn’t understand what I am saying. Some of the “lessons” – like “that’s hot” or “that piano lid will pinch your fingers” are going to be learned the hard way, while others seem to come easier as he mimics our behaviors and words. And often, while I am demonstrating a concept, he is kicking and screaming and exercising his “terrible twos” to the max!
But after a few days of working with a new tricycle, Timothy is starting to get the hang of keeping his feet on the pedals and steering. The last visit, he actually sat at the piano and matched my rhythms on the keys as he sang along… and some of the words actually made sense! If I had any notion he wasn’t paying attention, he showed me differently! And I have to admit, my husband and I were both bursting with pride at his newfound accomplishments.
Think about this… in God’s eyes, we are often the “terrible two-year-old”… kicking and screaming and wanting to do things our own way. God tells us in all sorts of ways what we need to know… but sometimes, we have to be shown. We need an example… a “sign” – something to indicate to us that He is at work in a situation. I have no doubt that we try God’s patience just like toddlers try ours. And I have to wonder… does He burst with pride when we begin to “get it?”
As we grow in our faith… as we develop as Christians… we must become secure and comfortable as we rest in the confidence that God is telling us the truth. Just as toddlers begin to comprehend the spoken word more and more… we must learn to comprehend what God shares with us in Scripture, through prayer and fellowship with other believers, and in the “signs and wonders” all around us. We must learn to hear from God and understand Him… and sometimes we will have to learn the hard way by “touching something hot” or through our own failures and shortcomings.
Jesus said, “If you have ears, pay attention!” God wants us to hear Him… loudly and clearly… even when He doesn’t physically speak! Are you listening? Are you hearing from God? Does He have your attention?
©2011 Debbie Robus
When Jesus had finished speaking, he said, "If you have ears, pay attention!"
Jesus' disciples asked him what the story meant. So he answered: I have explained the secrets about God's kingdom to you, but for others I can only use stories. These people look, but they don't see, and they hear, but they don't understand.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
I spend a lot of time showing Timothy things that I’ve told him, because he doesn’t understand what I am saying. Some of the “lessons” – like “that’s hot” or “that piano lid will pinch your fingers” are going to be learned the hard way, while others seem to come easier as he mimics our behaviors and words. And often, while I am demonstrating a concept, he is kicking and screaming and exercising his “terrible twos” to the max!
But after a few days of working with a new tricycle, Timothy is starting to get the hang of keeping his feet on the pedals and steering. The last visit, he actually sat at the piano and matched my rhythms on the keys as he sang along… and some of the words actually made sense! If I had any notion he wasn’t paying attention, he showed me differently! And I have to admit, my husband and I were both bursting with pride at his newfound accomplishments.
Think about this… in God’s eyes, we are often the “terrible two-year-old”… kicking and screaming and wanting to do things our own way. God tells us in all sorts of ways what we need to know… but sometimes, we have to be shown. We need an example… a “sign” – something to indicate to us that He is at work in a situation. I have no doubt that we try God’s patience just like toddlers try ours. And I have to wonder… does He burst with pride when we begin to “get it?”
As we grow in our faith… as we develop as Christians… we must become secure and comfortable as we rest in the confidence that God is telling us the truth. Just as toddlers begin to comprehend the spoken word more and more… we must learn to comprehend what God shares with us in Scripture, through prayer and fellowship with other believers, and in the “signs and wonders” all around us. We must learn to hear from God and understand Him… and sometimes we will have to learn the hard way by “touching something hot” or through our own failures and shortcomings.
Jesus said, “If you have ears, pay attention!” God wants us to hear Him… loudly and clearly… even when He doesn’t physically speak! Are you listening? Are you hearing from God? Does He have your attention?
©2011 Debbie Robus
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